On Tuesday, December 2 2025, the United Nations refugee agency has warned that escalating attacks in northern Mozambique have forced nearly 100,000 people to flee their homes in the past two weeks, as violence spreads into previously unaffected areas.
UNHCR representative in Mozambique, Xavier Creach, told reporters in Geneva that the rapid expansion of the conflict is outpacing humanitarian capacity, leaving tens of thousands without basic aid.
Villagers who escaped described armed groups storming homes at night, burning property, attacking civilians, and forcing families to flee with nothing. Many have been displaced multiple times this year, while children arrive at emergency sites exhausted, traumatized, and often unaccompanied. Women and girls face heightened risks of sexual and gender-based violence, particularly in overcrowded shelters lacking privacy and lighting. Elderly people and those with disabilities also struggle to access support in these makeshift settlements.
The conflict, which began in Cabo Delgado province in 2017, has already uprooted over 1.3 million people. In 2025, attacks have spread into Nampula province, compounding the crisis. Humanitarian teams are providing counselling, family reunification support, dignity kits, and mobility aids, but with funding at just 50% of requirements, UNHCR stressed that urgent international assistance is needed to sustain the response and address the growing needs.